Separation of plasma suppression and wafer edge to improve edge film thickness uniformity

ABSTRACT

A chamber for use in implementing a deposition process includes a pedestal for supporting a semiconductor wafer. A silicon ring is disposed over the pedestal and surrounds the semiconductor wafer. The silicon ring has a ring thickness that approximates a semiconductor wafer thickness. The silicon ring has an annular width that extends a process zone defined over the semiconductor wafer to an extended process zone that is defined over the semiconductor wafer and the silicon ring. A confinement ring defined from a dielectric material is disposed over the pedestal and surrounds the silicon ring. A showerhead having a central showerhead area and an extended showerhead area is also included. The central showerhead area is substantially disposed over the semiconductor wafer and the silicon ring. The extended showerhead area is substantially disposed over the confinement ring. The annular width of the silicon ring enlarges a surface area of the semiconductor wafer that is exposed and shifts non-uniformity effects of deposition materials over the semiconductor wafer from an edge of the semiconductor wafer to an outer edge of the silicon ring.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present patent application is a divisional of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/788,621, filed on Jun. 30, 2015, and titled,“Separation of Plasma Suppression and Wafer Edge to Improve Edge FilmThickness Uniformity,” which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The present embodiments relate to semiconductor wafer processingequipment tool, and more particularly, to a chamber used in thedeposition process.

2. Description of the Related Art

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is a type of plasmadeposition that is used to deposit thin films of deposition chemistry ona substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. To enable application ofvapor chemistry, PECVD systems include a vaporizer to convert adeposition chemistry in liquid form to vapor form in a controlled mannerand deliver the vapor form of the deposition chemistry to a plasmachamber during deposition process. When applied on a surface of thesemiconductor wafer (or simply referred to as the “wafer”), the vaporstate of the deposition chemistry is converted to a solid state.Chambers used for PECVD include wafer-receiving mechanisms, such asceramic pedestals, etc., for supporting the semiconductor wafer duringprocessing. The ceramic pedestals are used as they have the ability towithstand the high temperatures that exist within the plasma processingchambers during a deposition process.

To improve per wafer yield of a semiconductor product defined in thewafer, uniformity of deposited films has to be improved. One way ofimproving film uniformity is by using an effective plasma confinementtechnique. Some examples of confinement techniques that have been knownto effectively confine a plasma generated within the chamber include useof confinement rings made of dielectric materials, termination ofelectrodes, use of shadow rings, etc. Usage of such confinementtechniques has shown a detectable improvement in the uniformity of filmin some areas of the wafer (e.g., areas covering the center of thewafer) while other areas continue to experience non-uniformity. One ofthe main areas of the wafer where non-uniformity of film thickness isexhibited more often is at the edge of the wafer. This may be attributedto the fact that the aforementioned or any other plasma confinementtechniques used have been engineered so that the plasma confinementcoincides with the wafer edge. At the wafer edge, the film thicknessvaries due to the wafer, the electrode, and other parts of the reactorchamber interacting with the plasma. A need therefore exists to addresssome of these drawbacks to improve film thickness uniformity over thesurface of the wafer, including the wafer edge.

It is in this context that embodiments of the invention arise.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention define a process chamber that employs awafer-receiving mechanism, such as a pedestal, for supporting asemiconductor wafer during deposition process. In one implementation,the pedestal is configured to receive and hold a semiconductor wafer anda silicon ring. The silicon ring disposed over the pedestal surroundsthe semiconductor wafer, when present. A top surface of the pedestalincludes support structures for supporting the wafer and the siliconring. The silicon ring is made of a material that exhibits similarelectrical properties as the semiconductor wafer and is designed toextend a deposition surface from a surface of the semiconductor wafer toa surface of the silicon ring. A confinement ring may be disposed overthe pedestal to surround the silicon ring. The confinement ring, whenpresent, is used to confine a plasma at an outer edge of the siliconring. The silicon ring acts like a continuation of the semiconductorwafer surface and is designed to receive the deposition.

In addition to the pedestal, the process chamber includes a showerheadthat is sized to cover at least the surface of the pedestal on which thewafer and the silicon ring are disposed. The presence of the siliconring adjacent to the semiconductor wafer and the extended upperelectrode engineers the plasma confinement (i.e., suppression ortermination) to extend to an outer edge of the silicon ring instead ofthe semiconductor wafer edge, thereby causing deposition to continuebeyond the wafer edge. The continuation of the deposition beyond thesemiconductor wafer edge will cause the deposited film thickness at thesemiconductor wafer edge to be substantially as uniform as it is in thecenter of the wafer surface and results in shifting the non-uniformityeffects away from the semiconductor wafer edge to an outer edge of thesilicon ring.

The silicon ring, in one embodiment, is made of the same material as thesemiconductor wafer, e.g., silicon. However, it should be noted that thering surrounding the semiconductor wafer may be made of other materials(e.g., silicon-like materials, such as Germanium, Zirconium toughenedAlumina (ZTA), etc.) that exhibit similar electrical properties as thesemiconductor wafer. In some embodiments, the silicon ring can also havecoatings pre-deposited thereon (e.g., one or more coats), so that thecoatings simulate the top material layer of the wafer, e.g., on to whicha material is being deposited. Engineering the ring (e.g., silicon ring)from such a material allows smoothening of the transition from thesemiconductor wafer surface to the silicon ring surface.

In one embodiment, a gap separating the silicon ring and thesemiconductor wafer is kept to a minimum so that the smooth transitioncan be effectuated. For example, the gap is set so that the plasma isnot adversely affected by the gap or produce process shift changes inthe electrical properties of the deposition surface. Such properties mayinclude one or more of impedance, power, potential, density,combinations thereof, etc. In one embodiment, a width of the siliconring is defined so as to enlarge a surface area of the semiconductorwafer and shift non-uniformity effects of the depositing film from anedge of the semiconductor wafer to an outer edge of the silicon ring.The gap between the semiconductor wafer edge and an inner edge of thesilicon ring depends, in some embodiments, on number of factors,including the geometry of the chamber, the design of the upper electrodeand the pedestal (acting as a lower electrode), gap between the upperand the lower electrodes, process parameters within the chamber, such asprocess pressure, etc., and in some cases, a Debye length of the plasmagenerated in the chamber. In one configuration, the gap is set to beless than a Debye length of the plasma, which enables extending thedeposition surface beyond the wafer edge and allows substantiallyremoval of non-uniformities at and near the wafer edge. Shifting of thenon-uniformity effects away from the semiconductor wafer edge providefor improvements in deposited film thickness uniformity at the waferedge to be substantially as uniform as it is on the wafer away fromwafer edge.

In one configuration, the support structures may be provided as bumps orraised surfaces on the pedestal surface. The support structures are usedto enhance a precision contact of an under surface of the semiconductorwafer with the support structures. The edge of the support structuresthat come in contact with the under surface of the wafer provide minimumcontact areas (MCAs) that enable the wafer to be received and held inplace during the deposition process.

In one embodiment, a chamber for processing a semiconductor wafer, isdisclosed. The chamber includes a pedestal for supporting asemiconductor wafer during a deposition process. A silicon ringsurrounds the semiconductor wafer, when present, and is disposed overthe pedestal. The silicon ring has a ring thickness that approximates asemiconductor wafer thickness. The silicon ring has an annular widththat extends a process zone defined over the semiconductor wafer to anextended process zone that is defined to be over both the semiconductorwafer and the silicon ring. A confinement ring is disposed on thepedestal and surrounds the silicon ring. The confinement ring is definedfrom a dielectric material. The chamber also includes a showerhead. Theshowerhead includes a central showerhead area and an extended showerheadarea. The central showerhead area is substantially disposed over thesemiconductor wafer and the silicon ring. The extended showerhead areais substantially disposed over the confinement ring. The annular widthof the silicon ring enlarges a surface area of the semiconductor waferthat is exposed to the extended process zone, and shifts thenon-uniformity effects of deposition materials over the semiconductorwafer from an edge of the semiconductor wafer to an outer edge of thesilicon ring.

In one embodiment, the semiconductor wafer has a diameter of about 300mm and the silicon ring extends to a diameter of about 450 mm. Theafore-mentioned dimensions are examples and should not be consideredlimiting.

In one embodiment, a top surface of the pedestal includes a first regionwith first minimum contact areas (MCAs) for supporting the semiconductorwafer, a second region with second MCAs for supporting the silicon ring,and a third region with third MCAs for supporting the confinement ring.

In one embodiment, the silicon ring exhibits electrical properties thatare similar to the semiconductor wafer.

In one embodiment, the silicon ring is disposed over the pedestal suchthat an inner edge of the silicon ring is adjacent to an outer edge ofthe semiconductor wafer.

In one embodiment, the pedestal is connected to a radio frequency power(RF) source through a match network and the showerhead is electricallygrounded. The RF power source provides power to generate a plasma withinthe chamber.

In another embodiment, the showerhead is connected to a radio frequencypower (RF) source through a match network and the pedestal iselectrically grounded. The RF power source provides power to generate aplasma within the chamber.

In one embodiment, the silicon ring disposed on the pedestal defines agap between an outer edge of the semiconductor wafer and an inner edgeof the silicon ring.

In one embodiment, the silicon ring includes a step. The step is definedby a top surface, a sidewall, and a bottom surface. The bottom surfaceis configured to support the semiconductor wafer during transition fromone processing station to another processing station within the chamber.A height of the sidewall of the step approximates the semiconductorwafer thickness.

In one embodiment, a chamber for processing a semiconductor wafer, isdisclosed. The chamber is used for performing deposition of a materialover a surface of the semiconductor wafer. The chamber includes acarrier wafer that includes an annular ring surface and a pocket definedthereon. The pocket is defined at a center of the carrier wafer. A stepis defined in the pocket. The annular ring surface is defined tosurround the pocket and extend from an outer edge of the carrier waferto a top edge of the step. A bottom surface of the step is used tosupport the semiconductor wafer. A height of the step approximates asemiconductor wafer thickness. The carrier wafer extends a process zonethat is defined over the semiconductor wafer to an extended process zonethat is defined to be over both the annular ring surface and the pocketof the carrier wafer. The chamber includes a pedestal on which thecarrier wafer is supported. A confinement ring defined from a dielectricmaterial is disposed on the pedestal and surrounds the carrier wafer.The chamber also includes a showerhead. The showerhead has a centralshowerhead area and an extended showerhead area. The central showerheadarea is substantially disposed over the carrier wafer and the extendedshowerhead area is substantially disposed over the confinement ring. Theannular ring surface of the carrier wafer enlarges a surface area of thesemiconductor wafer that is exposed to the extended process zone andshifts non-uniformity effects of deposition materials over thesemiconductor wafer from an edge of the semiconductor wafer to the outeredge of the carrier wafer.

In one embodiment, a top surface of the pedestal includes a first regionwith first minimum contact areas (MCAs) for supporting the carrier waferand a second region with second MCAs for supporting the confinementring.

In one embodiment, the bottom surface of the pocket includes MCAs forsupporting the semiconductor wafer.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide ways to direct the plasmasuppression away from the semiconductor wafer edge to an outer edge of asilicon ring. The silicon ring disposed adjacent to the semiconductorwafer allows the deposition to continue on to the surface of the siliconring as if the silicon ring is part of the semiconductor wafer. Thecomposition and design of the silicon ring makes it possible for theplasma to see minimal change in the deposition surface. The showerheadis sized to extend beyond a process zone defined over the wafer edge toan extended process zone defined over both the semiconductor wafer andthe silicon ring. This provides substantial improvement in the filmdeposition uniformity at the wafer edge.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example wafer processing system used to process asemiconductor wafer, e.g., to form films thereon, in one embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 2A illustrates simplified block diagram of a side view of apedestal employed in the deposition chamber of FIG. 1 , in oneembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2B and 2C illustrate side views of a pedestal of FIG. 2A, indifferent embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 3A-1 and 3A-2 illustrate simplified block diagrams of a side viewof a pedestal used within a deposition chamber, in alternate embodimentsof the invention.

FIG. 3B illustrates a simplified block diagram of a side view of carrierwafer supported on a pedestal, in one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3C illustrates an explosive view of a portion of the carrier waferillustrated in FIG. 3B, in one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 3D-3G illustrate the various configuration of a step definedwithin the carrier wafer, in various embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate X and Y-linear scans depicting the wafer-edgeuniformity using the chamber configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1-3G, inaccordance to one embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the disclosure define a pedestal and a showerhead thatare used within a deposition chamber (e.g., reactor) for processingsemiconductor wafers. In one implementation, the chamber includes apedestal for supporting a semiconductor wafer and a silicon ring. Thesilicon ring surrounds the semiconductor wafer and acts to enlarge asurface area of the semiconductor wafer so as to shift non-uniformityeffects of the deposition materials away from a wafer edge to an outeredge of the silicon ring. Optionally, the chamber includes a confinementring. The confinement ring is received on the pedestal and is designedto surround the silicon ring such that an inner edge of the confinementring is adjacent to an outer edge of the silicon ring. In oneimplementation, support structures in the form of bumps or raisedsurfaces may be provided on a top surface of the pedestal for supportingthe wafer and the silicon ring on the pedestal. In the embodiments wherea confinement ring is present, the pedestal includes support structuresto support the confinement ring. The process chamber also includes anupper electrode, in the form of a showerhead. The showerhead includes acentral showerhead area that substantially covers a region over thesemiconductor wafer and the silicon ring, and in some embodiments, anextended showerhead area that substantially covers a region over theconfinement ring. The showerhead provides gas chemistries for generatinga plasma within the chamber, and in specific embodiments, depositingmaterials.

In one example configuration, the silicon ring is made of same material(e.g., silicon) as the semiconductor wafer (or simply referred to as“wafer”), and exhibits substantially similar electrical properties asthe wafer. It is to be noted that although, in this example, the siliconring is used for surrounding the wafer, the embodiments are not limitedto the use of the silicon ring. Instead, the ring surrounding thesemiconductor wafer may be made of other silicon-like materials (e.g.,Germanium (Ge), Zirconium toughened Alumina (ZTA), Yttria-doped (e.g.,Yttrium oxide) Alumina, Yttria stabilized Zirconia (YSZ), Sapphire,etc.). Configuring the ring of same or similar type of material as thesemiconductor wafer allows the deposition surface to extend beyond thewafer edge. Thus, when plasma is formed during a deposition process, thesilicon ring enlarges the deposition surface area beyond thesemiconductor wafer surface on to the silicon ring surface and isinstrumental in shifting the non-uniformity effects of deposition awayfrom a wafer edge to an outer edge of the silicon ring.

In one embodiment, extension of the deposition surface beyond the waferedge is enabled so long as the plasma is not substantially disturbed bya gap defined between the wafer edge and the adjacent edge of thesilicon ring. In one embodiment, a size of the gap between thesemiconductor wafer and the silicon ring is minimized. The size of thegap separating the wafer and the silicon ring can depend on one or morefactors, such as geometry of the chamber, geometry of the showerhead andthe pedestal, gap between the showerhead and the pedestal, processpressure, resulting Debye length of the plasma generated within thechamber, combinations thereof, etc.

In one embodiment, the gap is less than about 1.0 mm, and in anotherembodiment, it can be less than about 0.5 mm, and in one example, thegap is about 0.25 mm. In still another embodiment, the gap may be lessthan about 0.25 mm, so long as the deposition does not substantiallyclose the gap.

It should be understood that the aforementioned factors are mereexamples and fewer or additional factors may be used to influenceselection of the gap between the wafer and the silicon ring.

The extension of the deposition surface, by provisioning the siliconring or a ring made with similar silicon-like material as the wafer,assists in transitioning plasma non-uniformities from the wafer edge tothe outer edge of the silicon ring. Since the silicon ring is not thetarget or intent of process, non-uniformities at the silicon ring edgeare not relevant (e.g., the silicon ring being a replaceable consumablepart). In one embodiment, the surface of the silicon ring is configuredto exhibit a same or similar electrical properties, such as impedance,power, potential, density, etc., as the wafer. Further, in oneembodiment, the gap between the wafer edge and the edge of the siliconring is defined so as to minimize changes in electrical propertiesbetween the wafer and silicon ring. As a result, deposition continuesover the silicon ring as though the silicon ring were part of the wafer,thereby shifting the edge effect of the plasma from the wafer edge tothe silicon ring edge. For example, the surface of the wafer edge issubjected to deposition thicknesses that are similar to the surface ofthe wafer that is away from the wafer edge. Improving edge depositionuniformity therefore acts to improve wafer yield.

It should be appreciated that the present embodiments can be implementedin numerous ways, such as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device,or a method. Several embodiments are described below.

Deposition of films is preferably implemented in a plasma enhancedchemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system. The PECVD system may take manydifferent forms. For example, the PECVD system includes one or morechambers or “reactors” (sometimes including multiple stations) that eachhouse one or more wafers and are suitable for wafer processing. The oneor more chambers maintain the wafer in a defined position or positions(with or without motion within that position, e.g. rotation, vibration,or other agitation). A wafer undergoing deposition may be transferredfrom one station to another within a reactor chamber during the process.The film deposition may occur entirely at a single station or anyfraction of the film may be deposited at any number of stations.Although the various embodiments are described with reference to the useof PECVD systems to implement the deposition of films, the embodimentsare not restricted to PECVD systems but can be extended to atomic layerdeposition (ALD) systems, or even etch systems.

During a deposition process, each wafer is held in place within adeposition chamber by a pedestal, a wafer chuck or other wafer-receivingmechanism disposed within the chamber. The wafer-receiving mechanism,e.g., pedestal, may include a plurality of support structures that aredistributed across a top surface. In one embodiment, the supportstructures are bumps defined on the top surface of the wafer-receivingmechanism, such as the pedestal. The support structures define minimalcontact areas (MCAs) and are operative to support the wafer duringdeposition process by enhancing precision contact (especially withhigher tolerances) of the support structures with an underside surfaceof the semiconductor wafer. For certain operations, the wafer-receivingmechanism, in some embodiments, may also include a heater such as aheating plate to heat the wafer.

FIG. 1 illustrates a wafer processing system 100, which is used toprocess a wafer 101, in one embodiment. The system 100 includes achamber 102 having a lower chamber portion 102 b and an upper chamberportion 102 a. A center column in the lower chamber portion 102 b isconfigured to support a wafer-receiving mechanism, such as a pedestal140, which in one embodiment is a powered electrode. The pedestal 140,in this embodiment, is electrically coupled to power supply 104 (e.g.,RF power supply) via a match network 106. The upper chamber portion 102a houses a showerhead 150 which, in this embodiment, is electricallygrounded (as will be explained with reference to FIG. 3A-2 ). In anotherembodiment, the wafer-receiving mechanism (i.e., pedestal 140) in thelower chamber portion 102 b is electrically grounded (as will beexplained with reference to FIG. 3A-1 ). In this embodiment, theshowerhead 150 in the upper chamber portion 102 a is electricallycoupled to power supply 104 via the match network 106. The showerhead150, as noted above, supplies gas chemistries for generating a plasma.The power supply is used to generate the plasma within the chamber andis controlled by a control module 110, e.g., a controller. The controlmodule 110 is configured to operate the wafer processing system 100 byexecuting process input and control module 108. The process input andcontrol module 108 may be used to control process recipes, such as powerlevels, timing parameters, process gasses, mechanical movement of thewafer 101, etc., for depositing or forming films over the wafer 101.

The center column in the lower chamber 102 b includes a liftingmechanism to receive, hold and raise the wafer from the pedestal 140. Inone embodiment, the lifting mechanism includes lift pins 120, which arecontrolled by a lift pin control 122. The lift pin control 122 operatesto control the lift pins 120 to raise the wafer 101 from the pedestal140 when the wafer 101 has to be removed, and to receive, lower and holdthe wafer 101 when the wafer 101 is moved into the process chamber 102by an end-effector. A silicon ring lift and rotate control module 124may be used to control the lifting of the wafer 101 from the pedestal140 and moving the wafer to a different processing station within thesame chamber or a different chamber. In one embodiment, the silicon ringlift and rotate control module 124 may be used to manipulate a movingmechanism, such as a fork lift mechanism, that is used to move the waferfrom a pedestal 140 (i.e., wafer-receiving mechanism) of one processingstation to a wafer-receiving mechanism of a different processingstation.

A gas supply manifold 112 connected to process gas supply module 114,e.g., a gas chemistry reservoir that maintains the gas chemistrysupplied from a facility, is operatively connected to the waferprocessing system 100. Depending on the processing being performed, thecontrol module 110 is operative to control the delivery of processgas(es) (i.e., gas chemistries) via the gas supply manifold 112. Thechosen gas(es) flow into the showerhead 150 and are distributed in aspace volume defined between a face of the showerhead 150 that faces thesemiconductor wafer 101 and a top surface of the wafer 101 resting overthe pedestal 140. The showerhead 150 is part of the upper electrode.

When more than one process gas is used, the process gases may bepremixed or kept distinct. When kept distinct, the process gases may besupplied in a pre-defined sequence. Appropriate valves and mass flowcontrol mechanisms may be employed to ensure that the correct processgases are delivered during the deposition and plasma treatment phases ofthe process. Process gases exit chamber via an outlet (not shown). Avacuum pump may be employed to draw process gases out of the chamber soas to maintain a suitable pressure within the chamber. The vacuum pumpmay be operated by a close loop controlled flow restriction device, suchas a throttle valve or a pendulum valve (not shown).

In one embodiment, a surface of the pedestal 140 disposed in the lowerchamber portion 102 b is designed to be large enough to accommodate atleast the semiconductor wafer 101 and a silicon ring 132. The surface ofthe pedestal 140, in this embodiment, includes a distinct wafer supportregion (represented by reference letter ‘B’ in FIG. 1 ) that supportsthe semiconductor wafer 101 during deposition process, and a carriersupport region (represented by reference letter ‘A’) surrounding thewafer support region (‘B’). The carrier support region (‘A’) is definedto cover an area of the pedestal 140 that is immediately adjacent to andsurrounding the wafer support region that is defined in the center. Asilicon ring 132 is disposed on the carrier support region of thepedestal 140 so as to encircle the semiconductor wafer 101, whenpresent. In some embodiments, the silicon ring 132 is made of the samematerial as the semiconductor wafer 101 (e.g., silicon). In otherembodiments, the silicon ring 132 is made of silicon-like material(e.g., Germanium, Zirconium toughened Alumina (ZTA), Yttria-dopedAlumina, Yttria stabilized Zirconia (YSZ), Sapphire, etc.). Due to thesimilarity in the material used in the silicon ring 132 and the wafer101, the silicon ring 132 exhibits substantially similar electricalproperties as the wafer 101 that is disposed on the wafer supportregion.

In one embodiment, the silicon ring 132 (or silicon-like ring) acts toextend the deposition beyond the edge of the wafer 101 and allows for asmooth transition of the deposition surface, for the plasma, from thewafer surface to the silicon ring surface. In one embodiment, a gapdefined between the wafer and the silicon ring disposed on the pedestalis set so as to not substantially disturb the plasma, thereby enabling asmooth transition of the plasma.

In one embodiment, in addition to the wafer support region and thecarrier support region, the pedestal surface may also include aconfinement region (not shown) on which a confinement ring (not shown)is disposed. The confinement region is defined to surround the carriersupport region. The confinement ring received on the confinement regionof the pedestal 140 is annular in shape and surrounds the silicon ring132 such that an outer edge of the silicon ring 132 received on thepedestal 140 is adjacent to an inner edge of the confinement ring. Theconfinement ring, in one embodiment, is made of a dielectric material.The confinement ring is configured to assist in confining the plasmagenerated within the chamber 102 to about the outer edge of the siliconring 132.

FIG. 2A illustrates a simplified block diagram of a side view of anexample processing system with a chamber 102 that is used in adeposition process, in one embodiment. The chamber 102 includes apedestal 140, and a showerhead 150 that are designed to extend thedeposition surface beyond the semiconductor wafer surface to a siliconring surface. The structure of the pedestal 140 is similar to the oneillustrated in FIG. 1 , and includes a distinct wafer support region(identified by reference letter ‘B’) for receiving and holding the wafer101 and a carrier support region (identified by reference letter ‘A’)for receiving a silicon ring 132. The wafer support region, in oneembodiment, includes a plurality of support structures 138 that areoperatively configured to receive and hold the wafer 101 duringdeposition process. As noted above, the silicon ring 132 is annular inshape and is configured to encircle the semiconductor wafer 101. Thesilicon ring 132 is made of a material that is similar to the wafermaterial and in one embodiment is designed to be about the samethickness as the wafer 101. In other embodiments, the silicon ring 132may be thicker than the wafer or thinner than the wafer. The top surfaceof the wafer 101 and the top surface of the silicon ring 132, in oneembodiment, are approximately coplanar.

In one embodiment, the pedestal 140 also includes an insulator block 134that is made of dielectric or ceramic material. The insulator block 134is disposed on the pedestal 140 in a region below the silicon ring 132.The region is defined by an outer step that includes an outer step wall136 and the insulator block 134 is disposed adjacent to the outer stepwall 136. The insulator block 134 may be a single block or may includetwo or more blocks. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A, the regionincludes a two-block insulator structure with a second insulator block134 a disposed between the insulator block 134 and the silicon ring 132.In one embodiment, insulator block 134 or insulator block 134 a may bemade of ceramic, dielectric or any other insulating material that iscapable of withstanding process conditions within the chamber 102.

A showerhead 150 disposed in the chamber 102 provides necessary processgases to generate a plasma. The showerhead 150 is designed, in oneembodiment, to be large enough to cover at least the surface area of thepedestal 140 that includes the wafer support region and the carriersupport region. For example, in one embodiment, the showerhead 150covers an extended process region 154 that covers not only the processregion 152 defined over the wafer 101 but also the region defined overthe silicon ring 132. The showerhead 150, in the embodiment illustratedin FIG. 2A, is coupled to a RF power source 104 through a match network106 and the pedestal 140 is electrically grounded.

FIG. 2B illustrates a lower portion of the chamber 102 in which asilicon ring 132 is disposed on a pedestal 140, in one embodiment. Thestructure of the pedestal 140 is similar to the one illustrated in FIG.2A. The pedestal 140 is designed to include the plurality of supportstructures 138 disposed across the wafer support region (‘B’) and thecarrier support region (‘A’) to define the minimal contact areas forreceiving and supporting the wafer 101 and the silicon ring 132, duringa deposition process. For simplicity sake, an outer step defined by astep wall 136 has been shown without the insulator block 134, whereas inuse the insulator block 134 may be disposed by the side of or below thesilicon ring in a similar fashion as illustrated and described withreference to FIG. 2A.

A gap 44 defined between the silicon ring 132 and the semiconductorwafer 101 is set to a minimum so as to not adversely affect the plasma.The thickness 45 of the silicon ring 132, in one embodiment,approximates the wafer 101 thickness so that a top surface of the wafer101 is at about a same level as a top surface of the silicon ring 132.Designing the silicon ring 132 thickness to approximate to the wafer 101thickness further aids in a smooth transition of the plasma from thewafer surface to the silicon ring surface. In one embodiment, thethickness of the silicon ring 132 is about 1.75 mm. In another example,the thickness of the silicon ring 132 is between about 1.5 mm to about 2mm. In other embodiments, the silicon ring 132 may be thinner orthicker, so long as the top surface of the silicon ring 132 and thewafer are at least about coplanar. In this example, the gap isidentified as gap 44. In one embodiment, the gap 44 is less than about1.0 mm, and in another embodiment, it can be less than about 0.5 mm, andin one example, the gap is about 0.25 mm. In still another embodiment,the gap can be less than about 0.25 mm, so long as the deposition doesnot substantially close the gap.

FIG. 2C illustrates an alternate embodiment wherein instead of thesilicon ring 132 a silicon carrier ring 133 is disposed on the pedestal140. The silicon carrier ring 133 is shown to include a shelf defined bya step down. The step is defined by a top surface 133 a, a step sidewall133 b and a bottom surface 133 c. The pedestal 140 includes supportstructures 138 for supporting the wafer 101 as well as to hold thesilicon carrier ring 133. The bottom surface 133 c of the step of thesilicon carrier ring 133 is designed to support the wafer 101 when thewafer 101 is to be moved from one processing station to anotherprocessing station within the chamber 102. In one embodiment, a height45′ of the sidewall 133 b of the step is defined such that the topsurface 133 a of the silicon carrier ring 133 is at the same level as atop surface of the wafer 101, when the silicon carrier ring 133 is in adisengaged mode. Consequently, in one embodiment, the bottom surface 133c of the step in the silicon carrier ring 133 will not be touching anunderside surface of the wafer, when in the disengaged mode but will bepositioned to touch the underside surface of the wafer, when in anengaged mode. In the disengaged mode, the wafer 101 is supported on thepedestal 140 by the support structures 138. When the silicon carrierring 133 is in the engaged mode, the silicon carrier ring 133 is movedto support the wafer 101. The silicon carrier ring 133, in oneembodiment, is set to the disengaged mode during deposition process. Inone embodiment, a thickness of the wafer 101 received on the pedestal140 is less than the height 45′ of the sidewall 133 b of the step. Inthis embodiment, the height 45′ of the sidewall 133 b is about 0.79 mmand the thickness of the wafer 101 is about 0.76 mm.

A gap 44 defined between an edge of the wafer 101 and the edge of thesilicon carrier ring 133 defined by the step sidewall 133 b is designedto be at a minimal so that the plasma is not adversely affected. Asnoted above, several factors associated with different components of thechamber and plasma-related parameters affect a size of the gap Referringto FIGS. 2A-2C, in one embodiment, the surface of the pedestal 140 has adiameter large enough to receive a wafer 101 that is about 300 mm indiameter and either a silicon ring 132 or a silicon carrier ring 133. Inthis embodiment, the annular width of the silicon ring 132 or thesilicon carrier ring 133 disposed on the pedestal is about 75 mm and theshowerhead is about 450 mm in diameter. For instance, the showerhead isat least large enough to overlie the wafer surface and either thesilicon ring 132 or the silicon carrier ring 133. Of course, theaforementioned dimensions of the wafer surface, the silicon ring 132surface or the silicon carrier ring 133 surface and the showerhead 150are mere examples and should not be considered limiting. For example, insome embodiments, when wafers 101 larger or smaller than 300 mm areprocessed, the silicon ring 132 or silicon carrier ring 133 is selectedand sized so as to increase a sum diameter of the semiconductor wafer101 and either the silicon ring 132 or the silicon carrier ring 133 to alarger standard size. For example, if a 200 mm wafer is processed, thesilicon ring 132 or the silicon carrier ring 133 can extend the combineddiameter of the wafer and the silicon ring 132 or silicon carrier ring133 to 300 mm. In some embodiments, the sizing of the silicon ring 132or the silicon carrier ring 133 need not extend the combined diameter toa next standard size. Instead, the silicon ring 132 or silicon carrierring 133 size may be defined to increase the combined diameter by anydefined increment, so long as the edge effects are moved off the actualwafer 101 edge and on to the silicon ring 132 or the silicon carrierring 133.

FIG. 3A-1 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a side view of anexample pedestal 140 engaged within a deposition system, in oneembodiment. The pedestal 140 is designed to receive a semiconductorwafer 101 on a wafer support region (13′), a silicon ring 132 over acarrier support region (‘A’) and a confinement ring 144 over aconfinement region (represented by reference letter ‘C’). A plurality ofsupport structures 138 distributed on a top surface of the pedestal 140define minimal contact areas to receive the wafer 101, the silicon ring132 and the confinement ring 144. The pedestal 140, in this embodiment,is electrically grounded.

A showerhead 150 is configured to provide process gas to generate aplasma within the chamber 102. The showerhead 150 is designed to coveran area over the pedestal 140 and is connected to a RF power source 104through a match network 106. The showerhead 150, in one embodiment,includes a central showerhead area 150-1 and an extended showerhead area150-2. The central showerhead area 150-1 extends over a process zone 152defined over the wafer 101 and an extended process zone 154 defined overboth the wafer 101 and the silicon ring 132. The extended showerheadarea 150-2 extends the showerhead to further cover a region defined overthe confinement ring 144. A plurality of outlets are defined on asurface of the showerhead 150 facing the pedestal 140 to provide processgas. In one embodiment, the outlets defined over the extended processzone 154 may be disposed to be closer to one another while the outletsin the showerhead defined over the confinement ring region may be spreadfarther apart. This design may assist in providing a more focused plasmaapplication over the extended process zone 154 while continuing tomaintain the plasma over the confinement ring region. In anotherembodiment, the outlets are evenly distributed in each area encompassing150-1 and 150-2.

In one embodiment, a height of the confinement ring 144 is designed tobe substantially the same as the height of the silicon ring 132 or thecarrier wafer 142. In other embodiments, the confinement ring may bethicker or thinner than the silicon ring 132 and the carrier wafer 142,so long as the confinement ring surface is disposed substantiallycoplanar to the carrier wafer 142 surface and the wafer 101 surface.

FIG. 3A-2 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a side view of anexample pedestal 140 in the deposition system, in an alternateembodiment. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3A-2 differs from theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 3A-1 in that the pedestal 140 isconnected to the RF power source 104 through a match network 106 and theshowerhead 150 is electrically grounded. In the embodiments illustratedin FIGS. 3A-1 and 3A-2 , a size of the pedestal 140 is large enough toaccommodate the wafer 101, the silicon ring 132 and the confinement ring144.

FIG. 3B depicts a simplified block diagram of a side view of thepedestal 140 on which a carrier wafer 142 is disposed instead of asilicon ring 132. FIG. 3C illustrates a magnified view of a portion ofthe carrier wafer 142 identified in FIG. 3B. As illustrated in FIG. 3B,the pedestal 140 is configured to receive a carrier wafer 142 and aconfinement ring 144. A top surface of the pedestal 140 includes aplurality of support structures 138 (i.e., MCAs) for receiving andsupporting the carrier wafer 142 and the confinement ring 144. Thecarrier wafer 142 includes an annular ring surface 143 and a pocket 232defined in the center to receive the wafer 101. The carrier wafer 142 ismade of silicon or silicon-like material that exhibits similarelectrical properties as the wafer 101. An outer step 136 is defined onthe pedestal adjacent to an outer edge of the confinement ring 144. Theouter step 136 may include one or more insulator blocks (not shown). Thepedestal 140 is connected to a RF power source 104 through a matchnetwork 106. The RF power source 104 provides the necessary power togenerate the plasma within the chamber 102.

The confinement ring 144, in one embodiment is annular shaped and isdesigned to encircle the carrier wafer 142. In one embodiment, theconfinement ring 144 may be a shadow ring. In some embodiments, theconfinement ring may be made of dielectric material or other confiningmaterial. In other embodiments, the confinement ring 144 may be made outof materials such as Alumina, Yttria-doped Alumina, Yttria stabilizedZirconia (YSZ), Sapphire, etc.

A showerhead 150 is disposed in the chamber and is designed to be largeenough to cover an extended process region 156 that covers the processregion 152 defined over the wafer 101, the process region 154 definedover the carrier wafer 142 and the region defined over the confinementring 144. The showerhead 150, in this embodiment, is electricallygrounded. In another embodiment, the showerhead 150 may be powered andthe pedestal 140 may be grounded, depending on the desired process andsystem configuration.

FIG. 3C illustrates the various components of the pocket 232 defined inthe center of the carrier wafer 142 that is used to receive the wafer101. As noted earlier, the carrier wafer 142 includes an annular ringsurface 143 surrounding the pocket 232. The pocket 232 is defined by aninner step 242 extending down. The inner step 242 includes a top surface236 (that corresponds with the annular ring surface 143), a sidewall234, and a bottom surface 240. A height (H_(step)) of the inner step 242defining the pocket 232, in some embodiments, is equal to or greaterthan thickness of the wafer 101. In some embodiments, thickness 45″ ofthe bottom surface of the carrier wafer is defined to be about 0.97 mmand the height (H_(step)) of the inner step 242 is about 0.79 mm. Insome embodiments, the bottom surface 240 of the pocket may include aplurality of support structures 138 for supporting the wafer 101 duringdeposition process. A height of the support structures 138, in oneembodiment, is defined such that when the wafer is disposed over thesupport structures 138 within the pocket 232, a top surface of the wafer101 is at about a level as a top surface 236 of the inner step 242defined in the carrier wafer 142. The annular ring surface 143 extendsfrom an outer edge of the carrier wafer 142 to a top edge 242 a of thestep.

The geometry and the dimension of the annular ring surface 143 and thepocket 232 allows for a continuation of the deposition surface beyondthe wafer edge to the annular ring surface 143 of the carrier wafer 232.The carrier wafer 142 is received on the pedestal 140. In oneembodiment, the carrier wafer 142 is made of mono-crystalline silicon.In other embodiments, the carrier wafer 142 is made of silicon-likematerials, such as Germanium, ZTA, etc. In one embodiment, a top surfaceof the pedestal 140 includes a plurality of support structures 138 forreceiving the carrier wafer 142 and the confinement ring 144.

In one embodiment, the carrier wafer includes an outside edge 238. Anannular shaped confinement ring 144 is disposed on the pedestal 140 soas to surround the carrier wafer 142 such that an inner edge of theconfinement ring 144 is adjacent to the outside edge 238 of the carrierwafer 142. A height of the confinement ring 144, in one embodiment, isdesigned to be of about a same height as the carrier wafer 142 so that atop surface 144 a of the confinement ring 144, when present, isapproximately coplanar with the annular ring surface 143 of the carrierwafer 142. In other embodiments, as noted above, the confinement ring144 may be thicker or thinner than the carrier wafer 142 and theconfinement ring 144 is disposed so that the surface of the confinementring 144 is substantially coplanar with the carrier wafer 142 surface.The confinement ring 144 may be made of dielectric material or any otherconfining material, such as Alumina, etc., and acts to confine or assistin confining the plasma at the outside edge 238 of the carrier wafer142.

FIGS. 3D-3G illustrate the various configurations of a step sidewall 234defined in a pocket 232 of a carrier wafer 142 that is received on apedestal 140 disposed within a deposition chamber. It should be notedthat the various configurations of the step sidewall illustrated inFIGS. 3D-3G are mere examples and that other configuration of the stepsidewall may be engaged within the carrier wafer 142. For example, insome embodiments, the sidewall 234 of the inner step 242 may be extendeddownward in a perpendicular manner, as shown in FIG. 3D. A top edge 242a is defined at an intersection of the sidewall 234 and the top surface236 of the inner step 242. A bottom edge 242 b is defined at theintersection of the sidewall 234 and the bottom surface 240 of the innerstep 242. In this example, the edges 242 a, 242 b may be sharp ormachined edges.

A gap 44 is defined between an outer edge of the wafer and the sidewall234 of the inner step 242. An outside edge 238 of the carrier wafer isadjacent to a confinement ring (not shown) disposed on the pedestal 140(not shown).

FIG. 3E illustrates a variation of the sidewall 234 of the pocket 232 inanother embodiment, wherein the sidewall 234 of the inner step 242 isdisposed at an angle 13° that extends outward from the vertical line(represented by the dashed line 247 in FIG. 3E). Similar to theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 3D, the top edge 242 a and the bottomedge 242 b have sharp or machined edges, although edges 242 a, 242 b mayalso be rounded or tapered. In this embodiment, a gap 44 a is definedbetween an outer edge of the wafer and the top edge 242 a of the innerstep 242.

FIG. 3F illustrates another variation of the sidewall 234 of the innerstep 242 defining the pocket 232 in yet another embodiment, wherein thesidewall 234 of the pocket 232 is disposed at an angle 0° that extendsinward from the vertical line 247 while the top edge 242 a and thebottom edge 242 b continue to be sharp or machined edges, although theseedges (242 a, 242 b) may be rounded or tapered. In this embodiment, agap 44 b is defined between an outer edge of the wafer and the top edge242 a of the inner step 242.

FIG. 3G illustrates a variation of the top edge 242 a and the bottomedge 242 b of the inner step 242 illustrated in FIGS. 3B-3D. Here, thetop edge 242 a and the bottom edge 242 b of the inner step 242 arerounded. Although both the top and the bottom edges (242 a, 242 b) areshown to be rounded, variations of this embodiment may include only thetop edge 242 a being rounded or only the bottom edge 242 b beingrounded. In this embodiment, a gap 44 is defined between an outer edgeof the wafer 101 and the sidewall 234 of the inner step 242. Thevariations of the sidewall 234 of the inner step 242 defining the pocket232 of the carrier wafer 142 illustrated in FIGS. 3D-3G are examples andother variations of the sidewall of the inner step 242 may be employed.

As noted in the various embodiments, the plasma generated within thechamber may be extended beyond a wafer edge to a silicon ring edge by,(a) providing a silicon ring (or a silicon carrier ring or a carrierwafer) that is made of silicon or silicon-like material adjacent to thesemiconductor wafer on a pedestal (as discussed with reference to thevarious embodiments); (b) keeping a gap between an outer edge of thesemiconductor wafer and an inner edge of the silicon ring (or the stepwall of the silicon carrier ring or the carrier wafer) to a minimum toprevent the plasma generated within the chamber from getting adverselyaffected; (c) extending a showerhead to cover an extended process zonedefined over the pedestal that at least includes the semiconductor waferand the silicon ring (or the silicon carrier ring or the carrier wafer);and optionally (d) providing a confinement ring to surround the siliconring (or the silicon carrier ring or the carrier wafer). When theconfinement ring is present, the showerhead may be extended to cover thearea of the pedestal defined over the confinement ring, in addition tocovering the area over the semiconductor wafer and the silicon ring (orthe silicon carrier ring or the carrier wafer).

The various embodiments thus enable shifting the non-uniformity effectsof the deposited film away from the semiconductor wafer edge to thesilicon ring edge. The shifting results in the film thickness uniformityat the wafer edge to be substantially comparable to the film thicknessuniformity found in other areas of the wafer away from the wafer edge,thereby improving wafer yield.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the X and Y-linear scan graph identifying theeffect of a film deposition using the embodiments of the silicon ring orthe carrier wafer described herein. FIG. 4A illustrates the X-linearscan 404 plotted for a deposition process that engaged a chamber withouta carrier wafer or the silicon ring and the X-linear scan 402 plottedfor a deposition process using a chamber that included a carrier wafer.As illustrated in the X-linear scan 404 for the chamber that did notinclude the carrier wafer or the silicon ring, the edge wings (definedby points 404 a, 404 c) are more pronounced compared to the middle 404 bof the graph. The pronounced edge wings represent the non-uniformityeffect at the wafer edge as compared to the middle of the wafer. On theother hand, the X-linear scan 402 plotted for the deposition processthat engaged a chamber with an embodiment of a carrier wafer discussedherein, for example, the edge wings (represented by points 402 a, 402 c)were significantly suppressed and were closer to the middle 402 b of thegraph. The suppressed edge wings represent substantial improvement inthe uniformity of the deposited film at the wafer edge as compared toother areas of the wafer away from the wafer edge (e.g., the middle ofthe wafer).

As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the Y-linear scan graph 414 plotted for adeposition process that engaged a chamber without carrier wafer orsilicon ring showed similar effect with pronounced edge wings(represented by points 414 a, 414 c) as compared to the middle 414 b.This indicates the non-uniformity effect at the wafer edge as comparedto the middle of the wafer. Similarly, as can be seen from the Y-linearscan graph 412, for a deposition process that engaged an embodiment of achamber with carrier wafer discussed herein, the non-uniformity effectat the wafer edge was significantly reduced as can be seen by thesuppressed edge wings (represented by points 412 a, 412 c) compared tothe middle 412 b in the graph 412.

In one embodiment, the showerhead employed within the chamber was sizedto be about 450 mm in diameter and the wafer 101 disposed on the carrierwafer was about 300 mm in diameter. In another embodiment, an outerdiameter of the carrier wafer was about 450 mm and an inner diameter ofthe carrier wafer, defining the pocket for receiving the wafer 101, wasabout 300 mm. The showerhead, in this embodiment, was sized to cover atleast the carrier wafer. In another embodiment, a confinement ring wasdisposed adjacent to the carrier wafer and the showerhead was sized tooverlie the carrier wafer and the confinement ring. As noted earlier,the aforementioned dimensions are just examples and should not beconsidered limiting. Depending on the diameter of the wafer, the siliconring is selected and sized so as to increase a sum diameter of the waferand the silicon ring (or a silicon carrier ring or a carrier wafer) to alarger standard size. In some embodiments, the silicon ring (or asilicon carrier ring or a carrier wafer) may be sized to increase thesum diameter of the wafer and the silicon ring (or a silicon carrierring or a carrier wafer) by any defined increment that allows the edgeeffects to move away from the wafer edge to the edge of the silicon ring(or a silicon carrier ring or a carrier wafer). The embodimentsdescribed herein allow separation of the plasma confinement from thewafer edge so as to substantially improve film thickness uniformity atthe wafer edge to be as uniform as on the wafer away from the waferedge.

The control module 110 illustrated in FIG. 1 is used to manage thegeneration of the plasma and maintenance of the deposition conditionswithin the chamber. For instance, the control module 110 may be used tocontrol the processing parameters of the deposition chamber to generatethe plasma used in the deposition process. The control module 110 mayinclude a processor, memory and one or more interfaces. The controlmodule 110 may, in some embodiments, be employed to control one or moredevices in the system 100 based in part on sensed values. For example,the control module 110 may be used to control one or more of valves,filter heaters, pumps, and other devices that are integrated in thesystem 100 based on the sensed values and other control parameters. Thecontrol module receives the sensed values through various sensorsdisposed throughout the chamber 102, such as pressure manometers, flowmeters, temperature sensors, and/or other sensors. The control modulemay also be employed to control process conditions during delivery anddeposition of the film. The control module will typically include one ormore memory devices and one or more processors.

The control module may control activities of the delivery system anddeposition apparatus. The control module executes computer programsincluding sets of instructions for controlling process timing, deliverysystem temperature, pressure differentials across the filters, valvepositions, mixture of gases, chamber pressure, chamber temperature,wafer temperature, RF power levels, wafer chuck or pedestal position,gap between the electrodes (upper and lower) and other parameters of aparticular process. The control module may also monitor the pressuredifferential and automatically switch vapor delivery from a firstpath(s) to a second path(s). Other computer programs stored on memorydevices associated with the control module may be employed in someembodiments.

Typically there will be a user interface associated with the controlmodule. The user interface may include a display (e.g. a display screenand/or graphical software displays of the apparatus and/or processconditions), and user input devices such as pointing devices, keyboards,touch screens, microphones, etc.

Computer programs for controlling delivery of deposition and otherprocesses in a process sequence can be written in any conventionalcomputer readable programming language: for example, assembly language,C, C++, Pascal, Fortran or others. Compiled object code or script isexecuted by the processor to perform the tasks identified in theprogram.

The control module parameters relate to process conditions such as, forexample, filter pressure differentials, process gas composition and flowrates, temperature, pressure, plasma conditions such as RF power levelsand the low frequency RF frequency, cooling gas pressure, and chamberwall temperature.

The system software may be designed or configured in many differentways. For example, various chamber component subroutines or controlobjects may be written to control operation of the chamber componentsnecessary to carry out the inventive deposition processes. Examples ofprograms or sections of programs for this purpose include waferpositioning code, process gas control code, pressure control code,heater control code, and plasma control code.

A wafer positioning program may include program code for controllingchamber components that are used to load the wafer onto a pedestal orchuck and to control the spacing between the wafer and other parts ofthe chamber such as a gas inlet and/or target. A process gas controlprogram may include code for controlling gas composition and flow ratesand optionally for flowing gas into the chamber prior to deposition inorder to stabilize the pressure in the chamber. A filter monitoringprogram includes code comparing the measured differential(s) topredetermined value(s) and/or code for switching paths. A pressurecontrol program may include code for controlling the pressure in thechamber by regulating, e.g., a throttle valve in the exhaust system ofthe chamber. A heater control program may include code for controllingthe current to heating units for heating components in the deliverysystem, the wafer and/or other portions of the system. Alternatively,the heater control program may control delivery of a heat transfer gassuch as helium to the wafer chuck.

Examples of sensors that may be monitored during deposition include, butare not limited to, mass flow control modules, pressure sensors such asthe pressure manometers, and thermocouples located in delivery system,the pedestal or chuck (e.g. the temperature sensors). Appropriatelyprogrammed feedback and control algorithms may be used with data fromthese sensors to maintain desired process conditions. The foregoingdescribes implementation of embodiments of the invention in a single ormulti-chamber semiconductor processing tool.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features ofa particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detailfor purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent thatcertain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope ofthe appended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the embodiments arenot to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modifiedwithin their scope and equivalents of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A chamber for processing a semiconductor wafer ofdiameter D and thickness T, the processing of the semiconductor waferincluding performing deposition of a material over a surface of thesemiconductor wafer, the chamber comprising: a carrier wafer includingan annular ring surface and a pocket, the pocket being defined in acenter of the carrier wafer and including a step, the annular ringsurface being defined to surround the pocket and extend from a top edgeof the step to an outer edge of the carrier wafer, the step including atop surface that corresponds to the annular ring surface, a bottomsurface that corresponds to a top surface of the pocket, and a sidewallthat extends between the top surface and the bottom surface of the step,wherein the top surface of the pocket extends across a circular regionbounded by the sidewall and provides a support surface for receiving thesemiconductor wafer, a diameter of the pocket is sized larger than D, anormal distance between the annular ring surface and the top surface ofthe pocket approximates T, the annular ring surface of the carrier waferextends a process zone that is defined over the semiconductor wafer,when present, to an extended process zone that is defined over thesemiconductor wafer, when present, and the annular ring surface of thecarrier wafer, and the carrier wafer is a single, contiguous structure;a pedestal configured to receive and support the carrier wafer; aconfinement ring surrounding the carrier wafer and disposed on thepedestal; and a showerhead having a plurality of outlets configured toprovide process gas to the surface of the semiconductor wafer duringprocessing of the semiconductor wafer and while the semiconductor waferis received in the pocket, the plurality of outlets including a firstset of outlets defined over a central showerhead area and a second setof outlets defined over an extended showerhead area, the centralshowerhead area being substantially disposed over the carrier wafer andthe extended showerhead area being substantially disposed over theconfinement ring, wherein the first set of outlets is disposed adjacentto the second set of outlets such that plasma formed by the process gassupplied by the first set of outlets and the second set of outlets iscontiguous.
 2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the first set of outletsis distributed uniformly over the extended process zone and the outletsin the first set of outlets are spaced apart from one another by a firstdistance, and the second set of outlets is distributed uniformly overthe confinement ring and the outlets in the second set of outlets arespaced apart from one another by a second distance.
 3. The chamber ofclaim 2, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance. 4.The chamber of claim 2, wherein the first distance is equal to thesecond distance.
 5. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the confinement ringis defined from a dielectric material.
 6. The chamber of claim 1,wherein the diameter of the pocket is about 300 mm, and a diameter ofthe outer edge of the carrier wafer is about 450 mm.
 7. The chamber ofclaim 1, wherein the carrier wafer extends the semiconductor wafer to asecond standard diameter larger than D.
 8. The chamber of claim 1,wherein a radial width of the annular ring surface of the carrier waferis about 75 mm.
 9. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the normal distancebetween the annular ring surface and the top surface of the pocket isbetween about 0.75 mm and about 0.85 mm.
 10. The chamber of claim 1,wherein a thickness of the carrier wafer within the the pocket isbetween about 0.9 mm and about 1 mm.
 11. The chamber of claim 1, whereina top surface of the pedestal includes a first region with first minimumcontact areas (MCAs) for supporting the carrier wafer and a secondregion with second MCAs for supporting the confinement ring.
 12. Thechamber of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the pocket includesminimum contact areas (MCAs) for supporting the semiconductor wafer,when present.
 13. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the pedestal isconnected to a radio frequency (RF) power source through a match networkand the showerhead is electrically grounded, the RF power sourceconfigured to provide power to generate plasma within the chamber. 14.The chamber of claim 1, wherein the showerhead is connected to a radiofrequency (RF) power source through a match network and the pedestal iselectrically grounded, the RF power source configured to provide powerto generate plasma within the chamber.
 15. The chamber of claim 1,wherein a radial gap of between about 0.25 mm and 1.0 mm is definedbetween an outer edge of the semiconductor wafer, when present, and thesidewall.
 16. The chamber of claim 1, wherein a top surface of theconfinement ring is coplanar with the annular ring surface of thecarrier wafer.
 17. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the carrier wafer isa moveable unit that can be moved into and out of the chamber whilesupporting the semiconductor wafer.